Chicagoans now have double the incentive to conserve water, thanks to a voluntary new metering program. Listen up:
Metered water bills won’t give you chills! (via B. Man/Wikimedia)
When there’s a flat rate for water, it’s easy to overlook how much you use—and therefore easy to inadvertently waste it. So the City of Chicago has a promising new solution up its sleeve.
To give residents a financial incentive to conserve, the Department of Water Management is offering free meter installations that allow users to be billed only for what they use. The meters come with a promise: the water bill will be capped at the previous flat rate for seven years.
Thomas Powers, Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Water Management, says customers are saving an average of thirty percent on their bills and saving their source of water too.
“It really preserves Lake Michigan and our natural resources, not just for us, but for our kids and our kids’ kids,” he comments.
Easy-does-it water conservation, and the potential for much lower bills? Double the reward.
Learn More:
- Get the 411 about the Chicago MeterSave Program
- Check out the Chicago Tribune’s article “Get a water meter? H2 oh yes” and take control of your water bill
- Read up on all things water use with stats and tips from the EPA
The fine print:
- This segment was produced in partnership with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future
